DANDRUFF

DANDRUFF

Dandruff is actually a medical condition ‘seborrheic dermatitis’. It is a commonly occurring issue which involves flaking off of the upper layer of scalp. However, it is not a transmissible disease, neither it is serious. A medicated shampoo can easily treat this condition.

Symptoms

The symptoms and signs include:DANDRUFF Symptoms causes treatment

  • Itchiness on the scalp
  • Shoulders, brows, moustache or beard, hair and scalp are full of flaky skin
  • In infants, cradle cap with dry and crusty layer of scalp

The condition gets severe in winters and dry weathers.

Causes

The causes of dandruff include:

  • Not rinsing hair with enough shampoo.
  • Dry/scaly skin
  • Malassezia (fungus that lives on the oils produced on the scalp of most adults)
  • Excessively oil producing skin.
  • Contact dermatitis (when there is sensitivity to certain care products)
  • Eczema, psoriasis, etc.
Diagnosis

Diagnosis is easy, just seeing the scalp is enough because the flakes are visible.

Treatment

Mild dandruff can be treated with daily shampooing. If it doesn’t get better, try medicated shampoos which can be classified as following:

  • Tar-based shampoos (Neutrogena T/Gel)- slows down the flaking of skin.
  • Pyrithione zinc shampoos – antibacterial and antifungal agents
  • Ketoconazole shampoos
  • Shampoos containing salicylic acid
  • Selenium sulfide shampoos- has antifungal agent.

If there is no betterment even after using medicated shampoos, talk to your dermatologist he might add steroid lotion to it.

Lifestyle and home remedies
  • Cope up and manage the stress
  • Keep diet healthier
  • Daily shampoo
  • Go out in sun.
  • Try to minimize the products use for hairstyling.
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